(March 2023) – The Fund for Haywood County with the J. Aaron and Adora H. Prevost Endowment Fund and the Mib and Phil Medford Endowment Fund awarded fourteen grants totaling $64,900 in a recent grant cycle. Since 1994, The Fund for Haywood County, in partnership with CFWNC, has awarded grants totaling $1,327,666.
“Through the support of friends and neighbors, we are able to fund worthwhile projects and nonprofits doing good work across Haywood County” said Advisory Board Chair Adam Bridges. “Permanent charitable resources devoted to our community mean that the Fund can be responsive as needs change over time. We are grateful to everyone who has pooled their gifts with those of their neighbors. It really is generosity multiplied.”
The 2023 grants are:
$4,800 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina to support existing mentoring pairs, as well as to recruit, screen, train and place 10 new mentoring volunteers to address a waiting list.
$4,000 to Children's Cancer Partners of the Carolinas to defray costs of treatment and family emergencies that threaten continuity of care for Haywood County children battling cancer.
$2,500 to Clothes To Kids of Haywood County for operating costs for the kids' clothing shop.
$3,162 to First United Methodist Church of Waynesville/Friendship House for food assistance utilizing local agriculture producers for those experiencing hunger and food insecurity.
$7,500 to Haywood Christian Ministry to purchase fresh, local farm goods for distribution to clients.
$3,876 to Haywood Community College Foundation for WiFi hotspots, available through the library, to support students who lack internet access to allow them to complete their coursework while away from campus.
$5,000 to Haywood Community Learning Center to fund student services that support graduation.
$2,900 to Haywood County Arts Council from the Mib and Phil Medford Endowment Fund to support the creation of a Cherokee mural, painted by an Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ artist, on the back wall of its building.
$7,500 to Haywood County Meals on Wheels to purchase shelf-stable meals for its clients.
$3,500 to HIGHTS for fuel costs related to afterschool services provided four days a week to vulnerable youth.
$5,000 to KARE to support the School Safety Program and provide funding for professional development.
$3,162 to NC International Folk Festival (dba Folkmoot USA) to underwrite the salary of two employees in June and July 2023.
$5,000 to The Community Kitchen to purchase food and supplies needed to provide fresh, hot meals nightly and for its food distribution program.
$7,000 to Town of Waynesville from the Mib and Phil Medford Endowment Fund to install bump outs in Downtown Waynesville as a part of its adopted streetscape plan.
In 1994, local residents established The Fund for Haywood County as a permanent charitable endowment to meet local needs. Gifts added to the Fund’s principal are preserved and invested, while grants from the Fund support nonprofits in Haywood County. To make a tax-deductible contribution, donate online at or by mail c/o CFWNC, 4 Vanderbilt Park Drive, Suite 300, Asheville NC 28803. Make checks payable to CFWNC, noting “Fund for Haywood County” in the memo line. Contributions of any size are welcome.
The local, volunteer Advisory Board includes: Angela Bleckley, Adam Bridges (Chair), Kim Ferguson, Jeff Haynes (Vice Chair), Joan Kennedy, Chris Kuhlman, Terri Manning, Steve McNeil, Jonathan Song (Secretary), Amy C. Spivey, Mathew Underwood, and Eric Yarrington.